Ready Brute Elite II flat tow setup

[Sethtsmith]

I finally decided to take the time to write up my flat towing setup with the bronco. Shout out to others in this community who have posted on this topic as I took bits and pieces from them to come up what worked for me. I wanted to create a post that covered everything I did in one place in order to help others that might want to attempt the same setup.

I purchased a 22 Wildtrack with modular bumper, and one of the many reasons I picked the bronco was for the ability to flat tow it. I have a 18 Jayco Precept and one of the plans my wife and I have is once the kids are all out of the house is to travel around the country.

I was a complete flat towing newbie and had never owned a vehicle that was flat tow capable so this was all new to me. I would not claim to be a mechanic, but I do know my way around a wrench or hammer when needed. I just do the research needed before attempting to work on things I am not familiar with. I installed everything listed below myself in my garage and none of it was extremely difficult.

Tow Bar: Ready Brute Elite II RV Tow Bar With Integrated Supplemental Brake – NSA RV Products

I decided to go with the Ready Brute Elite II with integrated supplemental brake. One of the main reasons I decided to go with this setup is I liked the fact that the braking is handled via mechanical means which should be less likely to fail and I would not be required to buy and use a separate device for supplemental braking.

Tow Bar Clevis: Clevis for NSA tow bars – NSA RV Products

Jesse at NSA was very helpful with making sure I had the right Clevis attachment for the tow bar to connect and use the tow points on the bronco modular bumper. I sent him the measurements requested and it was found I needed the Barricade Clevis drilled to 7/8" hole.

Since I went this route, I did not have to purchase a towing base plate which I did not like the look of, and thought it would be silly to not use the points on the modular bumper.

Emergency Brake Away Kit: ReadyStop™ Towed Vehicle Emergency Break Away Kit – NSA RV Products

Since I was going with the Ready Brute towbar, and it was convenient, I also purchased the Readystop Emergency break away kit. During the install of the integrated braking install of the tow bar, installing this kit at the same time took care of both regular braking and emergency braking at the same time.

Electrical Setup: Amazon.com: CURT 58992 Custom Towed-Vehicle RV Wiring Harness for Dinghy Towing, Fits Select Ford Bronco, Black : Automotive

Since my bronco has the LED lights I purchased this wiring harness for the taillights of the bronco.

Amazon.com: CURT 57208 Vehicle-Side Trailer Wiring Harness Mounting Bracket for 4-Way or 6-Way Round, GLOSS BLACK POWDER COAT : Automotive

Purchased this to mount the 6-pin plug for the tail light wiring.

Amazon.com: CURT 58130 Vehicle-Side 6-Pin Round Trailer Wiring Harness Socket : Automotive

Bought this 6-pin plug for the tail light wiring. The reason I went with a 6-pin, is in addition to running the tail lights on the bronco, I ran a separate wire from the power pin up to my battery so when towing I am also keeping a tender on the battery to help prevent drain.

Amazon.com: Blue Ox BX88206 Coiled Cable with Female Receptor : Electronics

This of course runs from the motorhome to the 6-pin connector to control the lights and keep the bronco battery charged.

LoD Offroad | LoD Offroad 2021+ Bronco Black-O.P. Front Bumper Frame Tie In Brackets

Purchased these brackets to reinforce the strength of the connection of the frame to the bumper as well as to give myself two connection points for safety chains. I admit, this was a pain in the a** to install. Had to remove the bumper and the skid plates in order to get enough room to install these suckers. I have seen posts where others have had to trim their skid plates etc. to get them to fit. I did not have this issue and was able to get them installed with much cussing.

CURT 82932 Threaded Quick Link Trailer Safety Chain Hook Carabiner Clip, 1/2-Inch Diameter, 16,500 lbs Break Strength

Finally, purchased these to connect to the LOD brackets in order to make it easier to connect the safety chains. The connection points on the LOD brackets were a bit high and hidden by the bottom of the bumper, so adding these links allows me to see and hook up the connection points for the cables.

I have successfully towed the bronco now for about 1500 miles total over 3 trips with no issues. This setup is easy to connect and disconnect and so far I am very happy with the results. If anyone has any questions about the above, I will be happy to answer them if I can.

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[Fordified1]

I have a question about the charge line. Is it grounded through the tow bar or a separate ground wire? I’ve towed twice without a charge line but they were 3 hour stints. I’m heading off tonight after work and will be dry camping half way on a 900 mile treck. I don’t want to chance discharging the Bronco battery.

 

[Fordified1]

Nice setup. BTW, for those looking at doing similar. There are much cheaper tow bar adapters available (clevis) if you know the dimensions you need. I believe I paid $90 for forged steel. $330 is highway robbery IMHO. Also I used bushings in the recovery holes in the bumper to get a more precise pin fit as they are all drilled oversized, (at least in the aftermarket bumpers I’ve measured)

 

[Fordified1]

I also bought one of these at a discount. I did a watch on it and the seller contacted me and made a great deal, much cheaper than it listed currently. And it works great btw. Easy to take on and off once the brackets are attached and adjusted.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1347456886...kdahJGAQD2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[Sethtsmith]

I have a question about the charge line. Is it grounded through the tow bar or a separate ground wire? I’ve towed twice without a charge line but they were 3 hour stints. I’m heading off tonight after work and will be dry camping half way on a 900 mile treck. I don’t want to chance discharging the Bronco battery.

It's grounded through the tow bar, or really through the motorhome. Just to be on the safe side, I have unhooked everything overnight when I have stopped to sleep at Walmarts or rest stops . I agree that the clevis expense was quite high, but the folks at NSA were very helpful, so I didn't mind throwing some extra money their way. Since I sent exact measurements to them, the fit was quite tight, so didn't need to put bushings in. I actually needed to work the pins a bit with a hammer a few times to loosen them enough to work them by hand. I am quite happy with the setup, so if you have any additional questions, please let me know! Appreciate the kind words.

 

[Travler]

I have a 2021 Wildtrac I have pulled behind my 2006 country Coach since i bought it , I use the airforce one braking system Blue Ox tow bar , when i wired the lights i use a charge wire along with a separate ground No issues so far , i have towed it over 20,000 miles

 

[AyeCaptain]

Nice work! When you installed the LoD brackets, did you have to do any drilling? I read something in another post about having to enlarge some of the frame mounting holes.

 

[Sethtsmith]

Nice work! When you installed the LoD brackets, did you have to do any drilling? I read something in another post about having to enlarge some of the frame mounting holes.

Thank you! Yes. I did have to do a bit of drilling. It was easy enough to get the cordless drill up in there to enlarge the existing holes a little bit. If I remember correctly, I think I drilled on additional hole for each bracket as well as part of the install. You definitely need to remove the skid plate (4 bolts) when putting them on, there is not much room to work with as it's a tight fit.

 

[AyeCaptain]

Thank you! Yes. I did have to do a bit of drilling. It was easy enough to get the cordless drill up in there to enlarge the existing holes a little bit. If I remember correctly, I think I drilled on additional hole for each bracket as well as part of the install. You definitely need to remove the skid plate (4 bolts) when putting them on, there is not much room to work with as it's a tight fit.

I have a 2024 Bronco Wildtrak and have been researching flat towing options for several weeks. It sounds like our experience levels and research approaches are identical. I also settled on the Ready Brute Elite II tow bar for the same reasons you mentioned. It’s uncanny that our setup parts lists are exactly the same with the exception of one item… I hadn’t yet identified the need for the Reese quick connect links. From everything I have read, that’s a perfect addition to facilitate hookup of the safety cables. Thanks for taking the time to post… it’s great to have validation and the shared experience before fully launching into the project. I’m also going to be towing my Wildtrak behind my RV… my wife and I have a 2023 Renegade Veracruz 30VRM. Maybe our adventures will lead us to cross paths at some point down the road…

 

[Sethtsmith]

I have a 2024 Bronco Wildtrak and have been researching flat towing options for several weeks. It sounds like our experience levels and research approaches are identical. I also settled on the Ready Brute Elite II tow bar for the same reasons you mentioned. It’s uncanny that our setup parts lists are exactly the same with the exception of one item… I hadn’t yet identified the need for the Reese quick connect links. From everything I have read, that’s a perfect addition to facilitate hookup of the safety cables. Thanks for taking the time to post… it’s great to have validation and the shared experience before fully launching into the project. I’m also going to be towing my Wildtrak behind my RV… my wife and I have a 2023 Renegade Veracruz 30VRM. Maybe our adventures will lead us to cross paths at some point down the road…

That's great! I am really glad my post has helped you in validation of your choices etc. The funny thing about the quick connect links is I didn't add that part until AFTER the first time I tested my setup. I found that the most difficult and time consuming part of connecting everything and disconnecting for that matter was the safety chains. With the LOD brackets hidden behind the bumper, you can't see the loop and basically I need to get on the ground to see what I was doing! Good luck, and if you have any questions during install, please feel free to contact me.

 

[Glen24]

I finally decided to take the time to write up my flat towing setup with the bronco. Shout out to others in this community who have posted on this topic as I took bits and pieces from them to come up what worked for me. I wanted to create a post that covered everything I did in one place in order to help others that might want to attempt the same setup.

I purchased a 22 Wildtrack with modular bumper, and one of the many reasons I picked the bronco was for the ability to flat tow it. I have a 18 Jayco Precept and one of the plans my wife and I have is once the kids are all out of the house is to travel around the country.

I was a complete flat towing newbie and had never owned a vehicle that was flat tow capable so this was all new to me. I would not claim to be a mechanic, but I do know my way around a wrench or hammer when needed. I just do the research needed before attempting to work on things I am not familiar with. I installed everything listed below myself in my garage and none of it was extremely difficult.

Tow Bar: Ready Brute Elite II RV Tow Bar With Integrated Supplemental Brake – NSA RV Products

I decided to go with the Ready Brute Elite II with integrated supplemental brake. One of the main reasons I decided to go with this setup is I liked the fact that the braking is handled via mechanical means which should be less likely to fail and I would not be required to buy and use a separate device for supplemental braking.

Tow Bar Clevis: Clevis for NSA tow bars – NSA RV Products

Jesse at NSA was very helpful with making sure I had the right Clevis attachment for the tow bar to connect and use the tow points on the bronco modular bumper. I sent him the measurements requested and it was found I needed the Barricade Clevis drilled to 7/8" hole.

Since I went this route, I did not have to purchase a towing base plate which I did not like the look of, and thought it would be silly to not use the points on the modular bumper.

Emergency Brake Away Kit: ReadyStop™ Towed Vehicle Emergency Break Away Kit – NSA RV Products

Since I was going with the Ready Brute towbar, and it was convenient, I also purchased the Readystop Emergency break away kit. During the install of the integrated braking install of the tow bar, installing this kit at the same time took care of both regular braking and emergency braking at the same time.

Electrical Setup: Amazon.com: CURT 58992 Custom Towed-Vehicle RV Wiring Harness for Dinghy Towing, Fits Select Ford Bronco, Black : Automotive

Since my bronco has the LED lights I purchased this wiring harness for the taillights of the bronco.

Amazon.com: CURT 57208 Vehicle-Side Trailer Wiring Harness Mounting Bracket for 4-Way or 6-Way Round, GLOSS BLACK POWDER COAT : Automotive

Purchased this to mount the 6-pin plug for the tail light wiring.

Amazon.com: CURT 58130 Vehicle-Side 6-Pin Round Trailer Wiring Harness Socket : Automotive

Bought this 6-pin plug for the tail light wiring. The reason I went with a 6-pin, is in addition to running the tail lights on the bronco, I ran a separate wire from the power pin up to my battery so when towing I am also keeping a tender on the battery to help prevent drain.

Amazon.com: Blue Ox BX88206 Coiled Cable with Female Receptor : Electronics

This of course runs from the motorhome to the 6-pin connector to control the lights and keep the bronco battery charged.

LoD Offroad | LoD Offroad 2021+ Bronco Black-O.P. Front Bumper Frame Tie In Brackets

Purchased these brackets to reinforce the strength of the connection of the frame to the bumper as well as to give myself two connection points for safety chains. I admit, this was a pain in the a** to install. Had to remove the bumper and the skid plates in order to get enough room to install these suckers. I have seen posts where others have had to trim their skid plates etc. to get them to fit. I did not have this issue and was able to get them installed with much cussing.

REESE Towpower Quick Links Trailer Connector 2 Pack (autozone.com)

Finally, purchased these to connect to the LOD brackets in order to make it easier to connect the safety chains. The connection points on the LOD brackets were a bit high and hidden by the bottom of the bumper, so adding these links allows me to see and hook up the connection points for the cables.

I have successfully towed the bronco now for about 1500 miles total over 3 trips with no issues. This setup is easy to connect and disconnect and so far I am very happy with the results. If anyone has any questions about the above, I will be happy to answer them if I can.

How was it running the braking cable from the front bumper to the brake cable? Do you have a picture of where you went through the fire wall?
Also how does the clevis connect to the D rings or do you take the D rings off?

 

[Sethtsmith]

How was it running the braking cable from the front bumper to the brake cable? Do you have a picture of where you went through the fire wall?
Also how does the clevis connect to the D rings or do you take the D rings off?

It was not too bad running the brake cable from the pedal to the front of the vehicle. You want to try and keep it as straight as possible when working your way up to prevent the possibility of kinking the wire. See the pics below to see where I went through the fire wall and were the cables ended up at the front.

Yes, I take the D rings off when I know I am going to flat tow. The clevis's hook up to the same spot my D rings are at in the photos.

This pic shows where the emergency brake away cable comes out. The reason it is going to the left in this photo as when it's not connected to the motorhome, I just hook it up to the brake cable for storage as you can see in the other photos. it basically comes out, between the skid plate and below the tow hooks. As a bonus, you can see the quick connect links I connected to the LOD brackets to help connect the safety chains.

This photo shows were I mounted the 6 way pin and where the brake cable comes out at the front. I drilled a hole in the skid plate basically in the center of the bronco. Also, as you can see the emergency brake away cable is attached to it during storage.

This is a side view showing where the emergency brake away box is mounted. Under the crash bar and above the skid plate. from there it runs straight back to the fire wall and brake pedal.

This one shows a little further back, the top wire is the brake cable, and the one below it is the emergency cable. I am basically following the frame back to the brake pedal. After I took this photo, I added another loose zip tie to the two cables so the emergency cable does not dip down so far.

This one shows where the two cables come through the fire wall into the cab and connect to the brake pedal. I took the weather tech floor mat out for the photo. The left wire is the emergency brake away, and the right one is the regular brake cable.

Hope those help, and if you need better pics, or have more questions, please let me know.

 

[Glen24]

It was not too bad running the brake cable from the pedal to the front of the vehicle. You want to try and keep it as straight as possible when working your way up to prevent the possibility of kinking the wire. See the pics below to see where I went through the fire wall and were the cables ended up at the front.

Yes, I take the D rings off when I know I am going to flat tow. The clevis's hook up to the same spot my D rings are at in the photos.

This pic shows where the emergency brake away cable comes out. The reason it is going to the left in this photo as when it's not connected to the motorhome, I just hook it up to the brake cable for storage as you can see in the other photos. it basically comes out, between the skid plate and below the tow hooks. As a bonus, you can see the quick connect links I connected to the LOD brackets to help connect the safety chains.

This photo shows were I mounted the 6 way pin and where the brake cable comes out at the front. I drilled a hole in the skid plate basically in the center of the bronco. Also, as you can see the emergency brake away cable is attached to it during storage.

This is a side view showing where the emergency brake away box is mounted. Under the crash bar and above the skid plate. from there it runs straight back to the fire wall and brake pedal.

This one shows a little further back, the top wire is the brake cable, and the one below it is the emergency cable. I am basically following the frame back to the brake pedal. After I took this photo, I added another loose zip tie to the two cables so the emergency cable does not dip down so far.

This one shows where the two cables come through the fire wall into the cab and connect to the brake pedal. I took the weather tech floor mat out for the photo. The left wire is the emergency brake away, and the right one is the regular brake cable.

Hope those help, and if you need better pics, or have more questions, please let me know.

Thanks for the extra pictures and the write up... I currently use the Ready Brute set up on my Mini Cooper. But Im thinking on towing the Bronco now....again thanks

 

[magua]

Nice setup. Currently trying to get a setup for 2024 2 DR Heritage with Capable Bumper. Had "D" in front and replaced with same tow hooks you have except yours are black which I prefer. Ones I went with Ford Performance Tow Hooks came in Red/Blue/Orange. Were yours black and were they OEM.

Secondly couldn't you just attach the safety cables to the bottom of those black tow hooks? See attached image.

 

[Fordified1]

Secondly couldn't you just attach the safety cables to the bottom of those black tow hooks? See attached image.

You could, but if the recovery hook mounts or bolts fail (unlikely yet possible) the safety cables won’t help you. Ideally some secondary loops attached rearward of the bumper mount flanges would make the setup bulletproof.
Do you have the LOD or similar frame horn / bumper mount brackets? Those add additional bracing to the bumper mounts which have failed during recovery attempts.

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